Board Eyes Limits On Water Use

Parts of Orange, Seminole and Lake counties may be under mandatory water restrictions if dry weather continues to shrink the Wekiva River, water management officials said Monday.

''The river has dropped to a point that would normally require us to impose mandatory water restrictions,'' said Bill Graf, a spokesman for the St. Johns Water Management District.

However, at a meeting today, water management staff will recommend that the district's governing board adopt voluntary water restrictions, Graf said.

The river is expected to rise during the next month, he said. ''We are right at the beginning of the rainy season, and we don't want to cry wolf,'' he said.

Under voluntary restrictions, the district sends out a plea for residents to monitor and reduce their water use. The governing board can accept the staff's recommendation, impose mandatory restrictions or take no action at all.

If Orange, Seminole and Lake counties get normal rainfall this month, the Wekiva should return to its usual level, Graf said. If not, the district could impose mandatory restrictions next month, he said.

Normally Orlando gets a little more than seven inches of rain in June, according to the National Weather Service. The outlook for the month is normal, with more rain than usual expected during the next week, a spokesman said.

The areas affected by today's proposed water restrictions include west Orange and Seminole counties and east Lake County. The 300-square-mile area lies west of Interstate 4, north of State Road 50 and east of Lake Apopka, officials said.

''We targeted those areas where ground water withdrawals would have an effect on the Wekiva,'' said Hal Wilkening, of the district's resource management department.

Most of Central Florida draws its water from below-ground aquifers, which are recharged by surface water, including the Wekiva. Osceola and Volusia counties are unaffected by today's proposed restrictions because they are outside the Wekiva River basin.

The river is below minimum levels both for height and flow, officials said.

Under mandatory water restrictions, outdoor water use would be restricted, Graf said. Already, lawn watering is prohibited from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., although few residents are aware of that rule, Graf said.